FemLINKPacific PR: Stepping Up for Young Women!

13 October 2011
Suva, Fiji Islands

Members of FemLINKPacific's Generation Next project for Young Women Producers and Broadcasters this morning stressed the need for "stepping up" and integrating gender equality in Disaster Risk Reduction as they joined other children and youth presenters at the Regional Event organised to commemorate the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) and World Habitat Day:

"Women and young women play a major role in times of disaster. They are the ones often responsible for managing disaster preparedness in the home and community - packing up clothes, managing food production and managing families especially when relocating" said Uha Fifita who also belongs to the Rainbow Women's Network:

"Women are better aware of their specific needs and better able to address those especially when cultural barriers in some societies make it even more crucial to train women disaster management specialists," she added

"Yet we continue to be under-represented in Disaster Risk Management and Relief Planning and Delivery programmes," said Sheetal Prasad, "How do we know this? As young women producers and broadcasters we have documented experiences of women affected by floods and cyclones through our rural women's media network."

Frances Tawake stressed the relevance of gender equality commitments including UNSCR1325 to ensuring all women's participation in designing and delivering humanitarian assistance: "(because) we believe all women need to be involved actively in environmental decision making at all levels and to integrate gender concerns in policies and programmes for sustainable development - to define our human security! We need to be heard, we need to be defining disaster risk reduction and climate change strategies."

Community Radio, said Generation Next, is their information and communication platform: "(it) is our tool not only to communicate and explain disaster management strategies but also to ensure women’s leadership when it comes to our environment security," said Tawake.

ENDS

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